The present invention relates to fluidic injection systems for use with rocket engines, and more particularly to an injector assembly for injecting a three-part propellant mixture for use with a rocket engine.
Rocket engines can utilize different types of propellants. Liquid propellants are desirable because they generally have a higher specific impulse than solid propellants. Among liquid propellants, hydrogen-oxygen propellants represent a benchmark for providing a desirable specific impulse. However, there are operational drawbacks to the use of such propellant mixtures, primarily because liquid hydrogen is a difficult fuel to deal with in terms of storage, delivery, etc. Kerosene is seen as a suitable alternative to hydrogen as a rocket fuel for use with an oxygen oxidizer.
Kerosene-oxygen rocket engines present problems in two distinct areas for rocket engine operation: combustion efficiency and combustion stability. Combustion efficiency generally refers to the completeness of the burning of propellants during engine operation. A problem faced with kerosene-oxygen rocket engines is that some kerosene typically exits an exhaust nozzle of the rocket engine without being burned, which lowers combustion efficiency in producing engine thrust. It is desired to achieve a relatively high level of combustion efficiency. It is also generally desired to maintain a stable combustion process, and to increase the stability of kerosene-oxygen rocket engine combustion processes. Combustion stability can be particularly problematic with kerosene rocket propellants, and undesired effects like oscillations in pressure can be produced.